TO MAKE THE COLT TAKE THE BIT KINDLY. 493 



leg. A few trials will -generally cure him. But, a horse once 

 having firmly acquired a vice, is never after perfectly safe. 



TO MAKE THE COLT TAKE THE BIT KINDLY. 



Use a large, smooth, snaffle-bit, so as not to hurt his mouth, with 

 a bar on each side to prevent the bit from pulling through either 

 way. This you should attach to the head-stall of your bridle and 

 put it on your colt without any reins to it, and let him run loose in 

 a large stable or shed some time until he has become a little used to 

 the bit and will bear it without trying to get it out of his mouth. 

 It would be well, if convenient, to repeat this several times before 

 you do anything more with the colt; as soon as he will bear the bit, 

 attach a single rein to it without any martingale. You should also 

 have a halter on your colt, or a bridle made after the fashion of a 

 halter, with a strap to it, so that you can hold or lead him without 

 pulling on the bit much. He is now ready for the saddle. 



SADDLING. 



Any one man who has discretion and firmness, can put a 

 saddle on the wildest colt without help and without scaring 

 him. The first thing will be to tie each stirrup-strap into a loose 

 knot to make them short and prevent the stirrups from flying 

 about and striking him. Then double up the skirts and take the 

 saddle under your right arm so as not to frighten him with it as you 

 approach. When you get to him rub him gently a few times with 

 your hand and then raise the saddle very slowly until he can see it, 

 and smell and feel it with his nose. Then let the skirts loose and 

 rub it very gently against his neck the way the hair lies, letting him 

 hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels them against him ; each time 

 getting a little farther backward and finally slip it over his should- 

 ers on his back. Shake it a little with your hand and in less than 

 five minutes you can rattle it about his back as much as you please 

 and pull it off and throw it on again without his paying much 

 attention to it. 



The Girth As soon as you have accustomed him to the 

 saddle, fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It often 

 frightens a colt when he feels the girth binding him and making 

 the saddle fit tightly on his back. You should bring up the girth 

 very gently and not draw it too tightly at first, just enough to nold 

 the saddle on. Move him a little and then gird it as tightly as you 

 choose and he will not mind it. You should see that the pad of 

 your saddle is- all right before you put it on and that there is noth- 

 ing to make it hurt mm or feel unpleasant to his back. It should 

 not have any loose straps on the back part of it to flap about and 

 scare him. After you have saddled him in this way, take a switch in 

 your right hand to tap him up with, and walk about in the stable a 



